05/29/2024 – The Value of the Sacred
Daniel 5: 22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. “
In the year 589 BC Babylon invaded Jerusalem. They invested years and great expense in this effort and God allowed them to destroy the city and the temple, to take away the most precious treasures from His people. One of the main reasons that God allowed this is that the people did not appreciate the blessings they had. They had turned to idols while amid them was the presence of God. Often, we only learn to value something when we lose it.
Those who love God and the gospel of Christ value the church much more after the pandemic. One of the reasons God allowed temple doors to be closed for some time is to teach His people the value of worshiping God together in the congregation of the saints. There is an individual and personal relationship with God that is important and precious. But there is a communion of the saints, a body of Christ where faith is compounded. There is a unity where God sends blessing and everlasting life!
King Nebuchadnezzar, on the other hand, valued the temple. There was no barrier, no army that could keep him from it. But he valued it for the wrong reason- for selfish gain. This is even worse. There is no quicker way to destruction than to use the holy for selfish gain.
But Daniel, and people like Daniel, know how to value the sacred. Daniel valued faithfulness to God more than the pleasures of Babylon. He valued faithfulness to God more than his own life.
What you don’t value, you will lose. When you learn to value the holiness of God, you will win it all.